Chaeles chimock



UNITED STATESV PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES OHINNGK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC DANCER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,4152, dated October17, 1865; antedated October 4, 1865.

To all whom it 'may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES GHrNNocK, ot the city of Brooklyn, county ofKings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Automatic Dancers; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had tothe accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which-IFigure l is a side view of a dancer constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the board on which the dancing isperformed, and of its base and support.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding -parts in theseveral figures.

l This invention relates to automatic dancers which have the dancinggure attached to a nxed pillar or support. Its object is to obtain amore free and lively movement with a less application of force by theiin gers on the board and to this end it consists in a novel mode ofattaching the dancing gure to the supportingpillar, whereby it isenabled to be balanced to such a degree as is desirable over the boardon which the dancing is performed.

To enable others to construct dancers according to my invention, I willproceed to de-v scribe them with reference to the drawings.

A is a base, in or on which is erected the fixed upright pillar B, whichis slotted, as shown at a, to form the ful'crum b for the support of thelever C c, to one end of which the dancing gureD is attached. This leverpasses through the slot a, and the part c, which protrudes from theopposite side of the pillar to that on which the figure is arranged, isturned downward, as shown in Fig. 1, to permit it to be connected by thespring d with the pillar. This spring may be of india-rubber or metal;but the cheapest and most convenient kind of spring is the band or ringof india-rubber represented, which is slipped over the post and over theend of the part c of the lever. The

spring thus applied may be made to balance the whole or any portion ofthe weight of the figure by shitting it to a lower or higher positionfrom one to another ot' a series ot' notches or grooves, d d', providedin the post to keep it in place. By thus balancing the figure anextremely free and lively movement ot' it is obtained by the slightestmovement of the board E e, on which the dancing is performed, and thenecessary movement of the board is enabled to be eii'ected by theslightest possible exertion of the fingers of the operator.

The board E c is made to constitute a lever of the first class by beingattached to the base A by means of an upright spring, h, composed of apiece ot' steel or other metal plate fastened by screws or other meansto a cleat, f, on the base and another cleat,f, on the under side ot'the board E. rlhe said board is provided Witli an opening, g, throughwhich the pillar B passes. The part c ofthe board which extends beyondthe support or fulcrum h, on the opposite side ot' such support ort'ulcrum to that on which the ligure is arranged, forms a finger-pieceon which to pcrlorm the necessary manipulation of the 1in gers toproduce the movement ot' the part E of the board on and by which thedancing is performed, thus obviating the necessity of placing the handnear the figure, and enabling it to be kept more out ot' view.

The spring h, while forming a fulcruin or support for the lever-likeboard, effects the saine object as a separate spring applied incombination with a hinge or pin fulcrum-viz., gives an elasticity ofaction to the board which is very desirable.

' What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The attachment otl the figure to the pillar B by means of a bent lever,G, and an adjustable balancing-spring, d, substantially as hereinspeciiied.

OH. OHINNOOK.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, J. W. CooMBs.

